Child's Yoga Pose (Balasana)

Take a break. Balasana is a restful pose that can be sequenced between more challenging asanas.

(gah-rue-DAHS-anna)

Garuda = the mythic "king of the birds," the vehicle of Vishnu. The word is usually rendered into English as "eagle," though according to one dictionary the name literally means "devourer," because Garuda was originally identified with the "all-consuming fire of the sun’s rays."

Step 1:

Stand in Tadasana. Bend your knees slightly, lift your left foot up and, balancing on your right foot, cross your left thigh over the right. Point your left toes toward the floor, press the foot back, and then hook the top of the foot behind the lower right calf. Balance on the right foot.

Step 2:

Stretch your arms straight forward, parallel to the floor, and spread your scapulas wide across the back of your torso. Cross the arms in front of your torso so that the right arm is above the left, then bend your elbows. Snug the right elbow into the crook of the left, and raise the forearms perpendicular to the floor. The backs of your hands should be facing each other.

Step 3:

Press the right hand to the right and the left hand to the left, so that the palms are now facing each other. The thumb of the right hand should pass in front of the little finger of the left. Now press the palms together (as much as is possible for you), lift your elbows up, and stretch the fingers toward the ceiling.

Step 4:

Stay for 15 to 30 seconds, then unwind the legs and arms and stand in Tadasana again. Repeat for the same length of time with the arms and legs reversed.

Pose Information:

Sanskrit Name: Balasana

Pose Level:

1

Contraindications and Cautions:

• Diarrhea
• Pregnancy
• Knee injury: Avoid Balasana unless you have the supervision of an experienced teacher.

Modifications and Props:

If you have difficulty sitting on your heels in this pose, place a thickly folded blanket between your back thighs and calves.

Preparatory Poses:

• Virasana

Follow-up Child's Yoga Poses:

• Balasana is a resting pose that can precede or follow any asana.

Beginner's Tip for Child's Yoga Pose:

We usually don't breathe consciously and fully into the back of the torso. Balasana provides us with an excellent opportunity to do just that. Imagine that each inhalation is "doming" the back torso toward the ceiling, lengthening and widening the spine. Then with each exhalation release the torso a little more deeply into the fold.

Health Benefits of Child's Yoga Pose:

• Gently stretches the hips, thighs, and ankles
• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue
• Relieves back and neck pain when done with head and torso supported

Also Read: Easy Yoga Pose (Sukhasana)

Partnering:

A partner can help you lengthen the "dome" shape of your back in this pose. Have your partner stand to one of your sides. He/she should place one hand on your sacrum (fingers pointing toward the tailbone) and the other hand on your mid-back (fingers pointing toward your head). As you exhale, your partner can press gently down (toward the floor) and, without physically moving the hands, scrub them in opposite directions. Help your partner regulate the pressure on your back—ask for more or less—but have him/her apply more pressure only on an exhalation.

Variations:

To increase the length of the torso, stretch your arms forward. Lift your buttocks just slightly away from your heels. Reach the arms longer while you draw the shoulder blades down the back. Then without moving the hands, sit the buttocks down on the heels again.

Content & Image Courtesy: https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/child-s-pose